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The Rift
The Rift is a fictional area in Imperial Saga that harbors various evil creatures. About/History Long ago (approximately one thousand years ago http://imperial-mods.dreamwidth.org/1911.html?thread=233591#cmt233591), a meteor fell into Crescent Bay. The impact was devastating, but it was only the beginning. Horrific creatures began to crawl forth from the bay, consuming all that stood in their path. Today the creatures stand contained between two great walls, one in the sea and one on the land, but even the very ground beyond the walls is tainted and unclean. Those killed within the Rift will quickly reanimate into mindless undead creatures, and the corruption of the Rift can spread to the living, tainting them and driving them insane, as well as twisting their bodies. Although someone with great mental fortitude can survive and function with the taint of the rift in their bodies, it will eventually overwhelm them. There is no known cure for corruption, once it has been contracted, it can never be removed. There are rumors of ways to fully remove it, but nothing has ever been verified. Existing Beings ;Daemons :Daemons are among the strongest of the creatures that preside within the Rift. Horrific and evil, they are known for an insatiable hunger and a deep, malevolent intelligence. What they hunger for varies from daemon to daemon, but the end result is the same. They consume everything in their path, and it is humanity that feels the brunt of their hunger. ;Taintspawn: :Taintspawn are horrific creatures that come from the depths of the Maelstrom of the Eye where the Rift is strongest. Tentacled and generally somewhat resembling sea creatures, Taintspawn are much stranger and more inscrutable in their Daemon brethren. They are far more seldom seen, and seem to be acting for a goal that others cannot fathom. Their appearance is so twisted and alien, it is said even looking upon them can drive a man mad, but none know what they are truly after. ;Corrupted Ones: :Corrupted Ones were once men, but the touch of corruption has tainted them almost beyond recognition. While they retain the rude shape of a human, they resemble Taintspawn or Daemons much more, with extra appendages, bloody pustules, and rotting features. Upon succumbing to the taint, a Corrupted One will travel to the Rift where, if they survive the trip, will begin to roam the Rift, their humanity obliterated. Some Corrupted Ones are powerful enough to retain some of their original minds, and some even embrace the taint. They can become powerful allies of the Rift, commanding other Corrupted Ones into organized fighting forces. ;Undead and Greater Undead :The undead of the Rift are, by and large, mindless monsters that know only to kill and feed. They can be commanded by daemons or Taintspawn or even some of the stronger Corrupted Ones. Undead were once living beings, reanimated by the fell magic of the Rift. There are some instances of sentient Greater Undead such as liches and vampires. In these cases, they may or may not carry the taint of the Rift with them, depending on the means in which they attained that state. There were Greater Undead before the meteor fell, and there are still a few outside of the Rift's dominion and even some that are at least relatively benign. Most undead, however, are servants of the Rift, mindless or not. References